Yoda’s Top 3 Games of 2016

Okay so while I didn’t get to play a whole lot of games that came out this year (due to a certain 2011 themed project!) the ones I did get time with were all really good! And so I’m just going to get straight to the point and list my three favorites from the year! Because that's what gaming websites do :P

Once again, these games are MY PERSONAL favorites of the few games I got to play from this year. So if your favorite game from the year isn't on this list, it's because I most likely didn't play it. Unless it was No Man's Sky. Which I played. And if that's your favorite, then play these instead!

3 - Let it Die

Basically Dark Souls meets Blood Dragon. This 3rd person, dungeon crawler RPG, with an 80s Heavy Metal Sci-Fi theme was the only reason my PS4 ran something other than Netflix this year. Despite being 100% free to play, I never once felt limited by the games payment options. I was more than able to enjoy the game without spending a dime. This game definitely wins in the soundtrack department for me as well. Reaching out to over a hundred unique metal artists in Japan, the game's music director was able to create a truly astounding mix of something epic and wholly fun at its core. Perfectly reflective of the game itself. If you have a PlayStation you owe it to yourself to give this game a download.

2 - Grim Dawn

My god. Early Access games can be good! (Once they're released anyway.) This game is the best of it's genre. Of course that is not a huge statement from someone as new the ARPG scene as me. But compared to Diablo, Marvel Heroes, and Path of Exile, Grim Dawn stands head and shoulders above the rest. Whether I speak of its streamlined questing system, the absolutely impressive amount of lore, and it's nearly infinite ways to build characters, it's clear from the get go the game is the top of its class. Crate Entertainment has raised the bar for these style of games in nearly the same way the Witcher 3 raised the bar for Open World games. Many small annoyances that have plagued the genre have either been delicately worked around or removed entirely. Things like always being able to create a portal to fast travel puts more emphasis on the game's core systems and never wastes the players time or pads out the game's content. Keep an eye out for whatever it is these developers do next, they have a hell of a future ahead of them.

1 - SUPERHOT

It may not have the best story or have the most complicated art assets, but if any game deserves the top spot for originality and flawless execution of an amazing idea I can't think of a better game then SUPERHOT. "The Most Innovative Shooter I've played in Years" jokes aside, it's been a long time since an FPS took one cool idea for a game mechanic and used it to its full potential without overstaying its welcome. Portal is the only comparable game that comes to mind in that sense. "Time Moves Only when You Move" was all I needed to hear to know I wanted to pick this game up. I just didn't expect the incredibly creative level design, and deep understanding of how puzzle building works to go along with it. In addition to an incredibly well paced single player campaign SUPERHOT offers a TON of game modes and creative spins on this mechanic that will change your perspective over and over again. If there is one game I could come back to over and over again, it's this. I highly recommend SUPERHOT to any fan of shooters, puzzle games, or just original ideas.

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SUPERHOTSUPERHOTSUPERHOT!

Thanks for checking out my three best games of 2016! But I want to give a quick honorable mention to Overwatch. A Game that would easily have made my list if it still existed today. Of course you can still play it. But unique ideas and twists on the genre that I fell in love with have been muffled in an intense way in recent patches.

Regardless, I still love SUPERHOT every time I open it up to kill half an hour or so. Grim Dawn calls me at this very moment, and I'll never stop listening to that Let It Die soundtrack. Happy Gaming everyone!